Before She Dies

Before She Dies ~ Mary Burton
Publisher ~ Zebra
Published ~ 31 January 2012

My Rating ~ 5 out of 5

Charlotte Wellington is a damn good defense attorney. No one knows that she grew up in a carnival or that she left it at age 16, a week after her sister was murdered. However, 18 years later when the carnival comes into town and a woman is murdered, I didn’t need Madame Divine to tell me Charlotte’s past and present were about to collide.

This book didn’t lure me in from the beginning with sweet words. It grabbed me by the collar, yanked me down a hall, tossed me in a room and sat on me until I just had to finish it. It forced me to ignore good hygiene, tune out a grumbling stomach, made my kids forage for food by themselves, rush the dogs on their potty breaks and barely let me go long enough to pack my husband’s lunch for work. It drove me crazy! It was as if it was glued to my hand AND I couldn’t figure out who the killer was! Gah! I loved it!

Excellent plot, smooth-flowing, interesting well-developed characters. I couldn’t read it fast enough. The urge to peek at the end was off the charts for me. I so badly wanted to know who the killer was and yet I was determined to figure it out myself without cheating. I’m sad to say I made it about ¾ of the way before the urge to peek overwhelmed me. Although, that might just be a record for me. *shamefaced grin*

How I have never before seen books by Mary Burton I’ll never know. Now that I’ve read one I need to find more!

*The publisher provided a copy of this book to me for review. Please see my disclaimer page.

Gideon

Gideon (Nightwalkers, #2)
   ~ Jacquelyn Frank
Publisher ~ Zebra Paranormal Romance
Published ~ 1 June 2007

My Rating ~ 4 out of 5

Magdalegna is the Demon King’s youngest sister. When their parents died when Legna was very young he raised her and protected her. Now that Legna has Imprinted with the oldest male of their kind, a man of great power, one who is held in awe and some fear, Gideon, the King has to learn to let her go because an Imprinting cannot be denied.

Well-written, smooth-flowing, excellent plot and a continuation of my enjoyment of the interesting characters inhabiting this world, Gideon is an excellent second installment in the Nightwalker series. My only complaint, and it’s a small one, is that there was a tendency of repetition reminiscent of Christine Feehan in her Carpathian series. Not a lot of repetition, but enough to be noticeable. I hope Ms Frank doesn’t get into that habit because while I enjoy the Carpathians, that level of repetition does make one weary. So far, it’s not that bad in the Nightwalker series.

I look forward to continuing with Book 3, Elijah. From the description it sounds like it’s going to be an excellent one!

Dead is the New Black

Dead is the New Black
   ~ Christine DeMaio-Rice
Publisher ~ Christine DeMaio-Rice
Published ~ 9 September 2011

My Rating ~ 4 out of 5

Laura Carnegie is a pattern maker for big fashion designer Jeremy St. James. She fell in love with him practically from the day she interviewed for the job and even though they work closely together and she’s still in love with him five years later, she’s done nothing about it because Jeremy is gay. However, she loves her job and the time in the early mornings that they spend together before everyone else arrives to work, so she continues to love him from afar. Until the morning she’s a little late and finds him standing over the dead body of his financial backer, murder weapon in his hand. Uh, oh. That doesn’t look good.

This was an excellent mystery! I couldn’t figure out who the killer was. I bopped back and forth between suspects and even considered that Jeremy really did kill the bitch, um, I mean, moneybags. Interspersed with a murder to solve, a counterfeit clothing ring to bust, a childhood sibling rivalry to put to rest and a love interest trying to make himself known we are educated on how the big designers and the fashion industry work.

Having no clue and really no interest in fashion didn’t stop me from thoroughly enjoying the process in which these exclusive fashions are made, from beginning to end. I’ve always enjoyed the show How It’s Made and this book is a bit like that only with interesting characters, a twisty plot, a murder and a counterfeit clothing mystery thrown in. Most excellent!

*Red Adept provided a copy of this book to me for review. Please see disclaimer page.

Cupboard Kisses

Cupboard Kisses ~ Barbara Metzger
Publisher ~ Untreed Reads
               ~ Fawcett (original)
Published ~ 15 December 2011
               ~ 30 October 1989 (original)

My Rating ~ 4 out of 5

Cristabel Swann is a well-bred, but penniless orphan teaching music at Miss Meadows school for young ladies when she receives a letter informing her that her uncle and only remaining relative has died leaving behind an estate. When the black-hearted bitch, I mean, Headmistress says that Cristabel can’t possibly be spared to go to London, she resigns her position, packs up her meager possessions and takes off into the great unknown. Except, when she arrives at her uncle’s town home, she finds a strange man in residence and her life takes a completely different turn than the one she expected.

Smooth-flowing, great plot, well-rounded characters and often funny. I had a wonderful time reading about Cristabel and her new job. The lengths people went to keep her in the dark made for great entertainment. As for the Captain, I liked him very much. I especially enjoyed the way he ran his new house like he was still the Captain of a ship. LOL

This was certainly not a boring book. I can’t wait to read more by Barbara Metzger.

*The publisher provided a copy of this book to me for review. Please see disclaimer page.

My Wicked Little Lies

My Wicked Little Lies
   (Sinful Family Secrets, #2)
   ~ Victoria Alexander
Publisher ~ Zebra Historical
Published ~ 31 January 2012

My Rating ~ 4 out of 5

Evelyn Hadley-Attwater, the Countess of Waterston has been very happily married to her husband, Adrian, for two years. When they met and fell in love they both agreed the past was the past and their future started the day they met. But is it? And did it?

Excellent plot, smooth-flowing, well-rounded familiar characters and lively dialogue. Evelyn is a gutsy woman, Adrian is a hunky Earl and both are quick-witted and intelligent. This is a book filled with mysteries, disguises, subterfuge, adventures and interesting characters. I don’t want to give anything away in my review, so I’ll just say I enjoyed it very much and am looking forward to the next book.

Side note: I’m not sure why this book is listed as Book 2 in the Sinful Family Secrets series when I consider The Perfect Mistress to be Book 1 and His Mistress by Christmas to be Book 2. That would make this Book #3. All three books are in the same setting with the same cast of characters, so the numbering should be logical. *scratches head and shrugs*  Ah, well.

*The publisher provided a copy of this book to me for review. Please see disclaimer page.

Underdead in Denial

Underdead in Denial (Underdead Mystery, #2)
    ~ Liz Jasper
Publisher ~ Liz Jasper
Published ~ 12 September 2011

My Rating ~ 4 out of 5

Jo Gartner, 8^th grade Science teacher, part human, part vampire is back in Book 2 of the Underdead Mysteries. Will, her would-be sire, is back after five months of leaving Jo alone. Jo is avoiding him as much as possible while helping her friend and fellow teacher, Becky, advance her relationship with Drama Dan by volunteering to help with the Haunted House at the local theater. Where she will take tickets dressed as…a vampire. And witness the collapse (later deemed murder) of one of the performers. Once again she’s involved in a murder mystery when all she wants is to live a regular normal, human, life.

I loved this second book as much as the first. Well-written, funny, smooth-flowing and another mystery I couldn’t figure out until right before the end. Plus, will she choose Will or Gavin? Or someone we haven’t met yet? Frankly, I’m not impressed with ol’ Will. I don’t like him using his vampire wiles on Jo to get his own way instead of giving her the freedom to choose. Gavin is a confusing guy though he seems to care about what happens to Jo, he also seems conflicted about her condition. I vote for another to come in and make Jo’s life even more complicated. Hehe I never knew I was so sadistic.

I eagerly await Book 3 which should be out this Fall.

*The author provided a copy of this book to me for review. Please see disclaimer page.

Underdead

Underdead (Underdead Mystery, #1)
    ~ Liz Jasper
Publisher ~ Liz Jasper
Published ~ 12 September 2011

My Rating ~ 4 out of 5

Jo Gartner is an 8^th grade science teacher out to dinner with the Science Dept. when she meets a hot, handsome hunk named Will. They discuss books for awhile then all of a sudden Will kisses her leaving Jo under his spell. Literally. When he bites her neck she comes to her senses and with a few well-placed jabs gets away from him.

She wakes up the next morning in her own apartment with no idea how she got there, but she feels as if she’s been on a ten-day bender. When she walks out to her living room a strange man is there, explaining he was the taxi driver, Gavin Raines, who brought her home and he was worried about leaving her apartment without being able to lock the deadbolt for her. Fuzzy in the head, she accepts his explanation then kicks him out. Her life gets extremely weird after that.

Smooth-flowing, excellent writing, very funny, with well-rounded characters and a murder mystery I had a hard time solving. I really enjoyed reading about Jo’s experience in being what she calls underdead. Technically, she’s not human and she’s not a vampire, but stuck between two worlds. She doesn’t want to be a vampire, so she’s doing everything she can to live a normal, human, life. Even if she can’t go out in the sun or the only cravings she has is for chocolate, coffee and very rare red meat.

I look forward to reading more in this series!

*The author provided a copy of this book to me for review. Please see disclaimer page.

King of the Isles

King of the Isles (Men of the Isles, #3)
    ~ Debbie Mazzuca
Publisher ~ Zebra Historical
Published ~ 1 January 2012

My Rating ~ 4 out of 5

Evangeline is fae and most probably the most powerful user of magick in the kingdom. The fact that her father, Morfessa, hates her and the majority of the fae don’t trust her and are afraid of her combined with the knowledge that her mother was evil makes her life a very lonely one. When Lachlan MacLeod enters her life she’s afraid to trust in him and explore the feelings they so strongly feel for each other. He isn’t any better, so they fight and bicker and side-step the issue while trying to rescue the fae wizard Uscias after he’s kidnapped by a potential enemy. Then a bigger threat arrives and they both have to face their past in order to move forward toward a better future.

Excellent writing, great plot, wonderful world, well-rounded characters. My only complaint, and, really, it’s my own fault, is that I couldn’t keep all the people in this world straight. If I’d had time I would’ve read the first books in the series then I wouldn’t have been so lost.  This is one of the major reasons I hate to read books out of order because not knowing what the hell is going on and not knowing who all the players are makes me a very cranky reader. Other readers are probably able to do it, but unfortunately, I’m not one of them. Yes, I know. It irritates me, too. lol

At the first opportunity (with all the reviews scheduled I’m not sure when that’ll be LOL) I’m going to go back and read Books 1 & 2 because I like this world and don’t like not having a good grasp in my mind of what’s going on in it.

*The publisher provided a copy of this book to me for review. Please see disclaimer page.

Shattered

Shattered ~ Kate Kelly
Publisher ~ Kate Kelly
Published ~ 5 September 2011

My Rating ~ 3 out of 5

Tessa MacLean was running for her life. Her boss was trying to kill her, had already killed a co-worker and she had no idea why. The only person she could trust was her former fiancé, Jay Rawlings. Jay is a former Detective turned rancher after a case goes horribly wrong and his sister is murdered. Three years have passed and he’s still subconsciously wallowing in guilt when Tessa shows up and the past and the present collide.

Decent writing and good storyline, but I couldn’t get past how whiny both Tessa and Jay were not to mention Tessa comes off as wimpy and Jay emotionally abusive. Also, Tessa has a killer on her tail. Someone who hasn’t hesitated to kill at least once already and has made no secret of the fact he’s on her tail every step of the way as she flees. And yet, that doesn’t stop her and Jay from doing stupid things to put her life in jeopardy. Such as leaving the safety of the house more than once or practically tearing each others’ clothes off in the barn right after Jay’s dad is attacked there. It was too much for me. I had no respect for them and started hoping one or both of them would get shot for being so hormonal and idiotic.

While I didn't care for this particular story I won't let that stop me from reading more by Kate Kelly because I did like her writing style and the plot was a good one.

*The author provided a copy of this book to me for review. Please see disclaimer page.

Third Grave Dead Ahead

Third Grave Dead Ahead
    (Charley Davidson, #3)
    ~ Darynda Jones
Publisher ~ St. Martin's Press
Published ~ 31 January 2012

My Rating ~ 5 out of 5

Charlotte “Charley’ Davidson is a beautiful PI with ADD, a penchant for stumbling into trouble, an annoying family and some good friends. Oh, and she’s the grim reaper and a portal straight to heaven that demons want and the Son of Satan, Reyes, is trying to protect. But she can’t be bothered with that because she has cases to solve.

Third Grave Dead Ahead is book 3 in the Charley Davidson series and I’m still in love. In fact, I’m going to marry Darynda Jones just for creating such a great series. Oh, wait…I’m already married. And so is she. Damn polygamy laws! Besides, she doesn’t even know me. Oh, well. I guess I’ll just worship her from afar. Even though the ending was just so mean! Well, the ending before the actual ending. The pre-ending? Eh, read it and you’ll understand. Lol

As far as I’m concerned this book is another homerun hit out of the park and across the parking lot. Amusing as hell and intriguing with a case that has more twists and turns than a mountain road in West Virginia I found I had a hard time putting this book down. The ending was a one-two punch, a shocker and a big surprise. Though I did want to beat the snot out of both Reyes and Charley’s dad by the end of the book, I can’t wait to see how book 4 has Charley soldiering on. Is it October yet? Just askin’ because time does seem to get away from me with all this reading and I don’t want to miss the release of Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet.

Stay At Home Dead

Stay at Home Dead
    ~ Jeffrey Allen
Publisher ~ Kensington
Published ~ 3 January 2012

My Rating ~ 5 out of 5

Deuce Winters is that rare individual, a stay-at-home dad. Living in the small town of Rose Petal, Texas with his beautiful, intelligent, funny and successful lawyer wife Julianne and their three-yr-old daughter Carly, Deuce spends his days doing laundry, cleaning, cooking and caring for Carly. For three years the town of Rose Petal thinks Deuce can’t find a job, but Deuce is happy being a stay-at-home dad while his wife is the breadwinner. His days are busy, happy and normal. That is, until the day he comes out of the grocery store with Carly and finds a dead body in his minivan and most of the dimwitted gossips think Deuce is the murderer.

I loved this book! I haven’t laughed so much during a murder mystery since I read the Arly Hanks series by Joan Hess. Who says all murder mysteries need to be serious or dangerous? There are many moments of giggling, laughing and outright guffaws during this book. In fact, there was one instance of tears as I…*giggling, chortling, gasping* Sorry. I was just replaying the instance in my head and had an uncontrollable fit of the giggles.

Well-written, smooth-flowing and hilarious. I love Deuce’s observations of his fellow citizens, Julianne’s fierceness and intelligence and Carly’s cuteness. And let’s not forget the colorful characters in this town. I am so looking forward to the next book in Deuce’s mystery series coming out in October.

*The publisher provided a copy of this book for me to review. Please see disclaimer page.

Pride's Run

Pride's Run (A Wolf's Pride, #1)
    ~ Cat Kalen
Publisher ~ Cat Kalen
Published ~ 1 November 2011

My Rating ~ 4 out of 5

Pride is a 17-yr-old girl kept enslaved by a drug lord. She’s a werewolf and she’s not alone. Elders, pups and others are enslaved also. Their master is cruel and Pride dreams of the day she can free them all and kill their master, but she’s considered a runt and despairs of being able to do anything. At the full moon she is going to be put in a cage with 19-yr-old Stone and mated. She has six days to try and get out of there. However, before she can really plan her escape her master has a tracking job for her and sends her out to find her mark, a boy a few years older than her named Logan. And her survival begins.

Well-written and spell-binding. I couldn’t wait to see what was next. Pride is a scrappy heroine who believes she is damaged and genetically deficient. She’s had a hard life, but she keeps going. Logan is just the mate for her. Older, better trained, patient, an alpha. Will Logan and Pride be able to outrun the trackers and the Paranormal Task Force (PTF)? Can Pride learn to trust someone other than herself before the full moon? What’s up with Stone? What is her master afraid of?

Great story! Can’t wait to read Book 2, Pride Unleashed.

*The author provided a copy of this book to me for review. Please see disclaimer page.

The Perfect Mistress

The Perfect Mistress
    ~ Victoria Alexander
Publisher ~ Kensington
Published ~ 25 January 2011

My Rating ~ 4 out of 5

Lady Julia Winterset is a widow whose financial security is dwindling and she needs to get some income pretty quickly. Her salvation, she hopes, is the inheritance of a memoir or manuscript written by her great-grandmother, Lady Hermione Middlebury, who wrote down explicit details of what she calls her adventures (affairs) after she was widowed at the age of 24. Her adventures are quite scandalous, but since she’s been dead for more than 30 years Julia doesn’t think anyone in the memoir is likely to still be alive, so she decides to see if she can sell it to a publisher. Who would’ve thought the idea to sell the manuscript would change her life so drastically? She certainly didn’t.

I accidentally read the second book in this series before this one, so I already had a little knowledge of what was to come. However, I didn’t know how amusing the story would be. I didn’t connect with Book 2, His Mistress by Christmas as easily as I did this one, so it came as a surprise that I didn’t want to put it down. I kept wondering when Harrison Landingham, Earl of Mountdale, was going to next put his big foot in his mouth or what Julia’s friend Veronica, who also happened to be Harrison’s widowed sister-in-law, was going to do next.

Amusing, well-written, smooth-flowing and interesting it kept me glued to the pages until the end. Since I’ve already read book two, I can’t wait to read Portia’s story, so I hope it’s coming soon.

To Walk the Night

To Walk the Night (Kat Redding, #1)
    ~ E.S. Moore
Publisher ~ Kensington
Publisher ~ 3 January 2012

My Rating ~ 4 out of 5

Kat Redding is a vampire and werewolf hunter. She and her brother Thomas hunted down rogues, killed them and lived to do it again. Until one night, they were captured. Thomas’s fate was terrible and Kat was turned into one of the things she hated most, a vampire.  After a time, she managed to break free killing everyone in the Valentino Vampire House, but saving one man, a Pureblood named Ethan, one of the humans the vampires fed on. Grateful beyond words, he stayed with her, helping her in any way he could while she continued to hunt and kill those that needed hunted and killed. The last thing you wanted was Lady Death to come calling.

To Walk the Night begins several years after Kat escapes House Valentino. The Luna Cult, a group of Purebloods (humans) who worship werewolves, has a problem, a big problem, and the only solution is to ask Kat for help, so they send a messenger with the address for their Den. Kat doesn’t trust the Cult because they worship the monsters, werewolves, but she’s too curious not to see what they want. You know what they say about curiosity, right? Her name may be Kat, but it’s a good thing she’s a vampire.

This was a great first book in a new series. The writing was smooth, the plot intriguing, the story fascinating, the characters interesting. I’m reminded of the first time I read Guilty Pleasures by Laurell K. Hamilton. Both are similar stories, yet not. In either case, I couldn’t put them down.

An awesome read! I very much look forward to Book 2, Tainted Night, Tainted Blood coming 3 July 2012.

*The publisher provided a copy of this book to me for review. Please see disclaimer page.